I'm a woman, new to hiking, and need a superlight, reliable backpack.

[zaichev]

Where do I begin?

Does anyone here have a list of suggestions?

What brands should I look at/what features should I be aware of?

What's a fair price range?

[Kc Fiedler]

What does "super light" mean? Where are you hiking and what are you planning to carry? How many days at a time will you be out? What other gear/equipment do you already own that will need to fit inside the bag? What's your price range?

These are some of the things I would want to know before suggesting a bag...

[Venchka]

Rent first if possible. Buy your pack after you have your gear together. Then you will know what size pack to buy.
What is your budget?

Wayne

[illabelle]

Backpacking gear can be expensive. If you're new to this, borrow or rent equipment to see if you even like backpacking. If you have friends that have been backpacking a while, they probably have accumulated some gear. For example, we have at least 3 backpacking tents. If we were introducing someone to this activity, we could lend a tent, 1 or 2 sleeping bags, and several items of clothing. We would take our stove and plan meals to share with them.
To get the "list of suggestions" you might visit an outfitter in your area and let them overwhelm you with information (leave the credit card at home!). You could also browse sites like campmor.com or rei.com . Read gear reviews here and elsewhere to find out what kinds of things people are thinking about when they buy an item.
Buying gear can be fun. There are LOTS of options. And there are lots of opinions about what is essential or "worth its weight". I love our Primus stove, but I'm cooking for 2-3. I love my fleece vest and my down jacket and my favorite shirt. I have a Big Agnes sleeping bag - some things I like about it, some things I don't.
Hope that helps.

[rafe]

"New to hiking" and "superlight" don't really go together. In fact I'd say "superlight" hiking is pretty rare on the AT, except maybe in comparison to the habits of prior generations of hikers.

I'd go for something of decent quality with about 50-60 liters of volume. I'm partial to Granite Gear packs but not familiar with the current lineup. A pack weighing 2 lbs. empty should be able to carry up to 20-25 lbs. load.

True "Ultralight" packs have minimal (or no) frame-sheets or frame stiffeners, which only works if the load is also minimal. As the load increases the pack needs some sort of stiffener or framework to hold its shape against your back. Some "ultralight" packs work by relying on careful arrangement of pack contents, and some kind of dual-purpose device (eg. Z-lite foam pad) acting as the frame-sheet.

[bigcranky]

The term "super light" is going to throw off the suggestions you get. There are some truly superlight packs, but they are not for general long distance hiking, more for very experienced folks with very very light loads. I've been hiking for over 20 years and don't want a "super light" pack. So, assuming you mean that you want a lightweight pack for an AT thru-hike or long section, then I do have a suggestion: ULA. I think I see more ULA packs on long distance hikers around here than any others, with Osprey a close second.

The ULA Circuit is a good general purpose choice. It has enough capacity to carry a basic set of lightweight gear*, enough suspension to carry 30 pounds when leaving town with a full load of food, and it weighs a little over 2 pounds empty. ULA offers two shoulder strap systems: their S-curve system works well for women.

After years of using her Osprey, when it finally wore out I got my wife into a Circuit, and she took it for its first hike this weekend. Now, understand that she is notoriously picky about how her gear fits and works, especially her pack. She didn't say a word about it all weekend, which is a pretty big win :) She did say that it fit well, carried comfortably, and she liked the big outside pockets. (She also pointed out all the northbound thru-hiker carrying ULA packs, which was more than half of the ones we met.)

*lightweight gear means a down sleeping bag, tarp or tarptent, minimalist cook kit, minimal extra clothing, etc. A "traditional" kit with a synthetic 20-F bag that weighs four pounds, an 8-pound two-person tent, a backcountry gourmet 2-pan cook kit with a giant stove, and a ton of extra clothing, will NOT fit in a Circuit.

[Coffee]

If durability and relatively light weight are both important factors, consider ULA. My Circuit has around 600 miles on it and is in perfect shape and I expect it to last for many years.

[Starchild]

If you can't borrow or rent, well you have REI with the ability to return if it doesn't work out, but also one of the least expensive ways to get started backpacking is buying gear at Walmart. It's about the least expensive gear you can get by a long shot and is pretty usable stuff. Then as you gain experience as to what you really want for your style of backpacking you can start replacing your Wally World gear.

[slbirdnerd]

How a pack fits you and carries is often more important than the stand-alone weight of the pack. A 35 pound load can feel better in a 4 pound pack than in a 2.5 pound pack.

[Kerosene]

Referencing your other posts, Zaichev, is appears that you are looking to undertake an AT NOBO thru-hike starting early 2015.

A lot of the advice above is certainly applicable: Make sure that you really know what long-distance backpacking entails before investing a lot; and make sure your pack fits your unique physique and can comfortably carry all your gear.

In an ideal world, you would be able to pick out the perfect backpacking kit that would last you for many years. Actually, everyone has different personal requirements and preferences and ends up tuning their kit as they gain experience. You can easily spend thousands of dollars on top-of-the-line UL gear that won't work for your situation. While you have some savings built up, you're also not in a position to spend unwisely.

The recommendation to check out REI is one I wholeheartedly agree with. Take a look at the REI Flash packs (http://www.rei.com/search.html?ir=q%3Aflash&r=category%3Apacks-and-bags%3Bfeatures%3AUltralight&q=flash), which offer a nice combination of light weight (2-2.7 pounds), features, durability, volume and satisfaction guarantee. Ideally you would be able to fit your gear into the 45L pack ($129), but my guess is that you will need to go with the 58L woman's version ($189) to start (although by the time you finish the AT you'll probably have tuned your gear to easily fit into a 45L pack). Unfortunately, the closest REI stores to Nebraska are in Kansas City, Fort Collins and the greater Denver area.

Ideally you would have an experienced fitter ensure that your pack fits your physique (same goes for your hiking boots also).

If you do decide to spend more and go lighter, then I would take a look at ULA Ohm 2.0 (http://www.ula-equipment.com/product_p/ohm-2.0.htm), zPacks ArcBlast (http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks/arc_blast.shtml), Granite Gear VC 60 KI (http://www.granitegear.com/crown-v-c-60-ki.html), and the GoLite Jam 50 (http://www.golite.com/Jam-50L-Pack-Unisex-P46812.aspx). There are certainly many others out there, but if you start with this list you will gradually discover others that best fit your overall requirements.

[Mushroom_Mouse]

+1 to BigCranky's post. I recently switched from a ULA Catalyst to a ULA Circuit and the difference in comfort is really noticeable. You will have to go with lighter gear (down bag, compact cooking system, etc) but the comfort is great.

[Odd Man Out]

I recently went through the pack shopping process and encountered this same paradox implied by the replies above. The conventional wisdom (as reported above) is that you should go to a store and try on several a packs to find one the fits you best as fit is a very personal thing. You have also heard that a lot of people use ULA packs. But this brand is not sold in very many stores (their website lists 12 US retailers , in 9 states). It is a safe bet that a lot of people using ULA packs bought them mail order without trying them on, based on good recommendations. The same would be true for other cottage manufacturers (Z-Packs e.g.). The popularity and success of cottage manufacturers whose sales are dominated by on-line customers suggest the conventional wisdom of trying on a pack before you buy is not a requirement. It may even be a disadvantage if it limits you choices because you don't have access to a retailer who caries these cottage company packs.

I ended up buying an Elemental Horizons Kalais pack, which has specifications similar to the ULA packs. It is a newer company so you don't see so many of them and only available on-line or at 5 US retailers in the southeast. I picked this based on good reviews and because its specifications matched my needs. I'm optimistic it well be a great pack (but have not had a chance to hike with it yet).

[Riocielo]

We are planning a section hike with all our children (all adults, and 2 are new to hiking. ) I have been concerned about the cost of gear for them if they ended up not liking it. Several of you mentioned renting gear, can you tell me where they would go to do this?

[Odd Man Out]

We are planning a section hike with all our children (all adults, and 2 are new to hiking. ) I have been concerned about the cost of gear for them if they ended up not liking it. Several of you mentioned renting gear, can you tell me where they would go to do this?

Last time I rented, I went to my local outfitter (i.e. backpacking gear store). It was a real crappy pack, but it worked for a weekend. A store that specializes in backpacking would be your best bet. If there isn't one local to you, maybe someone knows of an on-line rental option.

[Odd Man Out]

We are planning a section hike with all our children (all adults, and 2 are new to hiking. ) I have been concerned about the cost of gear for them if they ended up not liking it. Several of you mentioned renting gear, can you tell me where they would go to do this?

Are you in Mobile?
http://alabamaoutdoors.com/2012/03/alabama-outdoors-rental-program/

[Riocielo]

Thanks so much about the rental info. I'm going to try to make it to Alabama Outdoors this week. Most of the outdoors places in our area are heavy in water equipment and light on hiking gear. But that's what you would expect with us being on the Gulf Coast and with more than five rivers in our county. :)

[Odd Man Out]

Thanks so much about the rental info. I'm going to try to make it to Alabama Outdoors this week. Most of the outdoors places in our area are heavy in water equipment and light on hiking gear. But that's what you would expect with us being on the Gulf Coast and with more than five rivers in our county. :)

Their web site listed some respectable gear for rental. Obvious disclaimer: I know nothing about this store. I just Googled it. Good luck.

[SunnyWalker]

I saw a super light tent for sale on some site yesterday. Let' see, it was $660.00 Yeeeehaw!

[Gersh]

I have an Osprey Exos 46, and I absolutely love it. I have also heard great things about the Women's Granite Gear KI (which by the way is on sale on steepandcheap.com).. I have done the northern half of the AT, and plan on doing the southern half late this summer. I find that the Osprey supports my load quite well. I love the narrower straps and the versatility of the pockets. Also remember that companies like Osprey support their products. The company will work with you if for some reason you are not happy. When I was doing my 3 mos northern section one of the guys I met had an Osprey pack with a broken strap.. Osprey sent him a new pack with a return label to send his other pack in.. That way he didn't have to loose time waiting for a fix. Buying from REI or a good company with costumer service is worth every penny. That way if something happens on the trail you are covered.

[Venchka]

You really do have the cart before the horse.
If you do in fact start in late February-early March, you are going to need full on winter gear through early May. Sleeping bag and clothing will all be bulkier and heavier than the gear you will need in June, July & August. Buying a pack now, only to learn later, that your sleeping bag (0-10 degrees) and warm clothes won't fit in your spiffy new super ultra light backpack will be a costly disappointment.
On the other hand, you could start with a larger backpack for your winter gear and buy a spiffy super ultra light backpack in late May when you switch to summer mode.
Another data point: My half marathon running granddaughter spends 1-2 weeks at a time in The Grayson Highlands, VA during June. She uses an Osprey Kyte 46 backpack (http://www.ospreypacks.com/en/product/womens/kyte_46) and loves it. However, I have no idea if she could get enough winter gear in the Kyte 46 to be comfortable in March at higher elevations.
Shop smart. Good luck!

Wayne

[lemon b]

I have a female hiking partner as of late. Two things I would never buy on line are a backpack or hiking boots. Last pack I brought my old one loaded in and filled up the ones I was interested in. Once I found the one that fit right the outfitter tweeked it a little. Its a medium Osprey Altmos 65. Boots I've just been sticking with the same brand for awhile, but I try them on with my hiking socks. If they feel right I can tell.
Get out there doing is how we figure stuff out. Not on line.

[rafe]

Two things I would never buy on line are a backpack or hiking boots.

Call me very lucky then. I bought both of my Granite Gear packs online, based on recommendations on WB and elsewhere. The Vapor Trail turned out to be a bit small for my hiking style, so I got the Numbus Ozone which did the trick. Could I have avoided buying two packs? Maybe, maybe not. As it turns out, both packs get used regularly, the VT for short hikes, the NO for longer ones.

The VT weighs 2 lbs., but has a hard load-limit around 25-30 lbs, due to its very light frame sheet. NO is 3 lbs., with a bit more volume, stiff frame sheet and much higher load limit. They're both top notch packs for their "intended audience." VT works great for a dedicated UL or near-UL hiker, NO serves a more general market with its extra volume and load capacity.

[mattjv89]

I have a female hiking partner as of late. Two things I would never buy on line are a backpack or hiking boots.

Couldn't agree more after picking up a new pack today. I walked into the outfitter expecting to go straight for an Osprey Exos 58 and ended up ruling it out as soon as we had one loaded up and adjusted. It just wasn't comfortable with the minimalist padding, I believe the hundreds of glowing reviews it has but it sure isn't for me. I ended up with a Deuter ACT Zero 50+15 which I was hardly thinking about before getting there. All the time I spent reading about the Exos and it was the worst match for me out of anything I tried haha. It's definitely a shot in the dark to buy without trying.